What is the fourth industrial revolution

It might explain a theory about what that means, but I prefer to give some examples of its implications in our lives and in our work:

Automation: What will -including Uber taxi drivers and the like- when taxi fleets are autonomous driverless cars? And driving schools?

IoT: The new Apple watch It is an independent phone (integrated data), plus a small multifunction computer what will happen smartphones? And the pulsometers?

Logistics: Prime Now, the new Amazon service supermarket, you take a custom home in two hours without stop by the store what will happen online supermarkets? And traditional? A pharmacy could send a request via a drone to 200 Km in just twenty minutes what will become of traditional courier services?

Big Data: Alphabet (Google, YouTube…), Facebook (Whatsapp, Instagram is…), Amazon, WeChat, Weibo… They are able to generate more accurate data in real time no one what will companies research and public opinion research?

This is nothing new. Every revolution brings changes, and society just adapting (although some of its members do not). The first industrial revolution, with the steam, modified the map of industry and labor. The second revolution, the early twentieth century did the same with oil, electricity, zinc, the steel, the aluminum, the car… Third, closer and overall, It is the intelligence, where converge the new technologies of communication with new energy systems.

This fourth industrial revolution, It is marked by the convergence of digital technologies, physical and biological, they anticipate that will change the world as we know it. He describes an excellent article BBC.

And the best part is the breakneck speed with which changes occur. If between 1st and 2nd revolution they passed over 50 years old , now the new digital and artificial intelligence environments conducive incredible speeds.

The bad news

The pessimistic view of all this is that our work may disappear. A few weeks ago, an excellent professional insurance world that prefers certain anonymity, He introduced me to an app called Will robots take my job?

If you place your current profession (moment is in English) It gives you a percentage of robotization scheduled for 2024, zero being a safe profession and 100 one profession without future. Not only that: It gives you an estimate of salary (a United States) and number “competitors”.

Must be read with caution percentages, as they relate to the US market and do not take into account the elements of the proposed differential value in a curriculum (Languages, experience, skills, achievements…).

High level of robotization for taxi drivers and chauffeurs. Uncertain future.

The good news

as advanced, each industrial revolution brought threats for those who are not “get in the car” but also opportunities for those who do. This recommended Enrique Dans reading, the author does not rule out that it can cause destruction of jobs, but he believes that the speed will be slower than expected willrobotstakemyjob website.

And Homegrown, the key to personal branding is given by little factors “robotizables” that they have to do with emotional intelligence rather than pure skills. A key factor, as in his day he progressed responsible for innovation VISA Inc. It is the management of our personal brand (personal branding), certainly one of the new transversal skills necessary to identify the value proposition, differential and relevant areas to project our brand.

digital processing and value

The digital transformation is a concept that, in my judgment- on 15 years extinguished. Basically because the concept is aimed at non-digital generations -baby boomers and Gen X-, which they must adapt to change or die trying. But in a few years, new professionals will integrated the digital chip naturally.

That does not mean that there are no new challenges and changes management, and it seems clear that everything will revolve around the Value, the ability to communicate with others and to easily adapt to new environments.

Recall that without personal transformation no digital transformation.

Great opportunity

If you are accounting, insurance agent, driver or you're on the list “convicted”, do not despair. In the same way a threat to your future looms, it is possible to be yourself who seeks what part of your job is automatable and how much provides greater value.

For example, for an insurance agent claims handling is something automatable (apps, management programs, CRM…) but the selling or personal advice not so much. In this case the value would be around the ability to connect, to persuade, and the agent could focus on the task to increase its value and avoid obsolescence.

As lecturer, participated in the Graduate Social Media of UPF and UVic, in various programs in ISDI, speaker at the IESE EMBA, among other. Advertising man, Master en Marketing. Grade student of Humanities.

Hi Guillem. Administrative and accounting as little to meet 40 I can not but be grateful for this article. He sensed that my kind of job could disappear because every year I see companies who do not renew these positions professionals who retire. The digital revolution must be understood, as I understand, as an opportunity and not just as a threat. How do you think a professional as I could reinvent itself?
I congratulate you on the blog, really interesting.

hello Teresa, I see that you are a short walk from the storm. Answer is complex “dry” on a way to reinvent yourself. Following the advice of the post, it would be worthwhile to analyze how much of your work is 100% automatable (It is the one that has less value) and how much less involved data analysis and the interpretation of them followed by tips and ideas to improve organizational performance. Of course, you could also help train you complementarily as a consultant in big data, management cloud… Anyway, each case is unique and it is difficult to generalize, but often more than a reinvention is a repositioning, an update.
Thank you for writing!